Oven closure construction



April 7, 1964 H. MILLS 3,127,890

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United States Patent O 2 Claims. (Cl. 126-200) This invention relates to stoves and has particular reference to certain new and useful improvements relating to stove ovens and closures therefor.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved construction for stove ovens and closures therefor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved closure for cooking ovens wherein the closure affords a window area substantially co-extensive with that of the access opening to the oven.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved closure construction for ovens.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved stove door window unit.

Other and further objects of lthe invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which there are seven sheets, which by way of illustration show a preferred embodiment of the invention and what I now consider to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof. Other embodiments of the invention may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a fragmentary sectional view of the oven, showing the closure in its closed position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a front corner of the oven and closure;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the closure in its closed position; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, a stove embodying my invention comprises an oven shell 36 with a closure 26 hingedly mounted thereon so as to seal 'the front access opening 24 of the oven when in the closed position. A description of the oven and hinge structures utilized in my oven is found in my prior copending application Serial No. 57,964, filed September 23, 1960, for Oven, Closure and Hinge Construction. The present application is a division of the prior application.

The closure 26 is of unique construction and comprises a channel-shaped frame 80 and a window unit or section 82 carried by the frame 80, the window unit being of an area substantially equal to the area of the access opening 24 whereby the entire interior of the oven and food therein may be easily observed without opening the closure 26. It is customary to provide ovens with lights therein which go on automatically when the oven door is opened, and where oven doors are provided with windows it is customary to provide a manually operated switch accessible on the outside of the stove whereby the light in the oven may be turned on without opening the oven door when it is desired to observe the progress of food being cooked in the oven, and I contemplate that such a light and control therefor may be employed in the built-in oven ernbodying the invention. However, as the closure for the built-in oven embodying my invention is substantially coextensive in area with the access opening to the oven, it may be practical in some cases to dispense with such an oven light in view of the fact that the closure of my in- 3,127,890 Patented Apr. 7, 1964 vention in effect provides a window as a closure for the oven and thus will admit substantially as much light to the oven as will be admitted when the closure is in its open position.

However, the invention is not limited to using a window of an area co-extensive with that of the access opening to the oven, and as illustrated in FIG. 3 the closure 26 additionally includes a section 84 which extends below the window section 82 and covers the bottom wall of the oven when the closure is in its closed position. The section 84 essentially consists of a hollow panel, the outer exposed surface of which may be finished in any suitable way. The inside surfaces of the window section 82 and of the section 84 are substantially flat and smooth so as to form an article supporting shelf when the closure 26 is in its open position, and projecting away from the oven.

The closure 26 comprises a rectangular frame 80 of channel-shaped cross section arranged with the open side of the channel facing inwardly and forming a seat for supporting the window section 82 and the panel section 84. As shown, the frame comprises a U-shaped member interconnected by frame member 152 which is bolted by means of bolts 154 to corner brackets 156 welded within the channel of the frame member 150 at the lower end thereof, as shown in FIG. 3.

The window unit 82 comprises a pair `of spaced `glass panels with a spacer 162 therebetween and sealingly engaging the panels around the peripheral edge thereof, and a continuous clamping and sealing frame 164 which clamps the panels 160 against the spacer 162. The frame 164 is channel-shaped and is fitted around the peripheral edges of the panels 160 with tbe spacer 162 therebetween and with a strip 166 of tape, such for example as asbestos, disposed between the frame 164 and the panels 160. The tape 166 is preassernbled to the frame 164, laterally projecting flanges of which are reversely bent as indicated at 16S and 170 for securing the tape 166 to the frame 164. The laterally projecting flanges 168 and 170 of the frame 164 form a seat for seating on the inner edge of the frame S0 whereby the window unit S2 is located and secured relative to the frame 80. The window unit as herein disclosed embodies the construction disclosed and claimed in my prior application Serial No. 786,139, filed January l2, 1959, for Stove Door Window Unit, now Patent No. 3,021,832.

As shown in FIG. 3, the window unit 82 is seated against the top central portion and the two side legs of the U-shaped frame member 150, and the panel section 84 is disposed between the lower frame member 152 and the window unit 82.

The panel 84 comprises a section of sheet metal which is bent in the form of a U with its closed end seated on top of the U-shaped frame member 152 and with its open end forming a seat for the laterally projecting flanges 168 and 170 of frame 164 of the window unit 82 like the seat provided by the frame member 150. The corner brackets 156 are notched as indicated at 174 to accommodate the ends of the panel 84 as shown in FIG. 4, and the sides of the corner brackets 156 which are U- shaped in cross section are telescoped between the inner and outer faces of the panel section 84 for locating the same so that the inner and outer exposed surfaces of the panel 84 are flush with the adjacent surfaces of the door frame $0.

In assembling the closure after the frame member 150 has been bent to U-shaped form with the legs thereof flared outwardly slightly, the window unit 82 is seated against the closed end of the U-shaped frame member 150. The panel 84 may then be positioned between the legs of the frame member 150 with the edges of the panel members seated on the frame 164 of the window unit. The legs of the frame member 150 may then be brought toward each other so as to seat the edges of the frame member 150 on the sides of the window unit as shown in FIG. 4 and so that the corner brackets 156 will fit between the inner and outer portions of the panel 84. Thereafter the lower frame member 152 can be assembled between the legs of the frame member 150, and by means of the two bolts 154 the frame member 152 can be secured to the frame 15) with the panels 82 and 84 therebetween.

A gasket or seal 19@ of silicone rubber may be clamped between the frame member 164 and the inner edge of the frame member 150 at the sides and across the top thereof as shown for engaging the inner periphery of the inner face 64 of the frame 50 so as to provide a seal therebetween. Below the window 82 the inner surface of the panel 84 seats against the exposed face of the frame mernber 86, as shown in FIG. 1. Closure 26 is provided with a handle 192 whereby the closure may be moved from one of its positions to another.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A rectangular closure for the access opening of an oven including a window unit comprising a pair of spaced window panels with a spacer between and sealingly engaging said panels at the edges thereof, a continuous clamping and sealing frame for clamping said panels against said spacer comprising a channel frame tting around the peripheral edges of said spaced window panels with said spacer therebetween; said clamping frame having integral continuous lateral projections on each side thereof, and a one-piece sheet metal outer wrap-around closure frame of channel-shaped cross section wrapped around said window unit on at least three sides thereof, with the open side of the channel facing inwardly and seating on the lateral projections of said clamping frame to effect a nested lt around said window unit thereby locating said window unit within the closure frame, and a gasket secured between one leg of said closure frame and' one of said lateral projections so as to provide a seal between the closure and the oven when the closure is in the closed position.

2. A closure for the access opening of an oven comprising a pair of spaced window panels with a continuous spacer between and sealingly engaging said panels at the edge thereof, a continuous clamping and sealing frame for clamping said panels against said spacer and comprising a channel frame fitted around lthe peripheral edges of said spaced Window panels with said spacer therebetween, an outer wrap-around skeleton closure frame of channelshaped cross section arranged to nest around the Window unit with the open side of the channel facing inwardly and forming a seat in which three sides of said clamping frame are seated, and a panel section inserted in the space between the fourth side of said clamping frame and said closure frame.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,348,297 Huddle May 9, 1944 2,587,527 Reeves Feb. 26, 1952 2,612,154 Mills Sept. 30, 1952 2,831,553 Pollock Apr. 22, 1958 2,839,044 Phares June 17, 1958 2,851,029 Fry et al. Sept. 9, 1958 2,996,161 Etling Aug. 15, 1961 

1. A RECTANGULAR CLOSURE FOR THE ACCESS OPENING OF AN OVEN INCLUDING A WINDOW UNIT COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED WINDOW PANELS WITH A SPACER BETWEEN AND SEALINGLY ENGAGING SAID PANELS AT THE EDGES THEREOF, A CONTINOUS CLAMPING AND SEALING FRAME FOR CLAMPING SAID PANELS AGAINST SAID SPACER COMPRISING A CHANNEL FRAME FITTING AROUND THE PERIPHERAL EDGES OF SAID SPACED WINDOW PANELS WITH SAID SPACER THEREBETWEEN; SAID CLAMPING FRAME HAVING INTERGRAL CONTINUOUS LATERAL PROJECTIONS ON EACH SIDE THEREOF, AND A ONE-PIECE SHEET METAL OUTER WRAP-AROUND CLOSURE FRAME OF CHANNEL-SHAPED CROSS SECTION WRAPPED AROUND SAID WINDOW UNIT ON AT LEAST THREE SIDES THEREOF, WITH THE OPEN SIDE OF THE CHANNEL FACING INWARDLY AND SEATING ON THE LATERAL PROJECTIONS OF SAID CLAMPING FRAME TO EFFECT A NESTED FIT AROUND SAID WINDOW UNIT THEREBY LOCATING 